Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 585 "I'm Waiting for You"

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), Chen Lin and several colleagues left their duty rooms and exited the imperial city through Anfu Gate.

Upon reaching the city gate, everyone bowed and dispersed, their figures gradually disappearing into the streets and alleys.

Along the official road, a windproof lantern was hung every few steps, its dim yellow light casting shadows on the stone pavement.

When Chen Lin returned from the northern frontier, although he had made military achievements on the battlefield, he had only saved a few hundred taels of silver. This amount of savings was not even enough to buy a small outbuilding in a courtyard in the suburbs. In the end, he could only rent a small room in Anshanfang, which was far from the capital. Every day, he rode his horse to and from work, which took nearly an hour each way.

He led his horse back, preoccupied with his own thoughts, and walked slowly.

After turning the corner, I saw a familiar figure ahead.

The man carried a lantern and was dressed in red, like a cluster of fireworks suddenly bursting forth in the dead of night.

Mingwu stood quietly under the locust tree by the roadside, as if she had been waiting for a long time.

Chen Lin abruptly stopped, a strange, inexplicable panic welling up inside him. He was unsure whether to step forward or turn away.

His senior sister had saved him twice. The first time was when he was eight years old. If she hadn't chosen him from a group of children to learn martial arts, he would probably have been silently sent away like the other unchosen children. The second time was in the northern frontier. His senior sister disobeyed their master's orders and chased after him outside the pass. When he was surrounded, she deflected a spear aimed at his throat with her sword.

How could he not know his senior sister's feelings for him?

In his heart, however, he felt only respect and gratitude towards his senior sister, never harboring any romantic feelings. This unequal affection left him feeling helpless and guilty whenever he faced her.

“Junior brother,” Mingwu spoke first, her voice clear and sharp, “do you really not want to see me?”

Chen Lin loosened the reins and bowed respectfully: "Senior Sister is too kind. It's just that it's late, why are you here alone..."

"I'm waiting for you."

Mingwu interrupted him, taking a few steps closer with her lantern.

The lantern illuminated her spirited features, and also revealed Chen Lin's deliberate avoidance of her gaze.

She suddenly sighed softly.

"Never mind." Mingwu looked at his restrained appearance, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes.

She raised the lantern slightly and lowered her voice: "I've come to remind my junior brother—the Marquis's residence has received news that Old Madam Han of the Governor's Mansion has sent a secret letter to the Northern Frontier, and has also summoned the Grand Governor's men stationed in the capital..."

Chen Lin frowned, recalling that a palace maid serving Consort Jin had delivered a similar message that night.

The Governor's Mansion, the maternal home of Consort Shun.

However, he had only met Consort Shun twice in the northern frontier, and they had never exchanged a single word.

Mingwu's gaze fell on his face as she explained, "According to the information we've gathered, it seems that because Consort Shun once had feelings for Junior Brother, and now Junior Brother is moving around in front of the Emperor, Old Madam Han is doing this just in case... that's why she can't tolerate you."

Chen Lin straightened his back slightly and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. Don't worry, I will be careful."

"Junior brother, have you considered that Consort Shun has the Han family's full protection behind her, but Consort Jin... does she have anyone to rely on in the palace? Lord Zhou? His foundation is still shallow, and besides—"

At this point, Mingwu abruptly stopped.

There are some things she absolutely cannot say.

She paused for a moment, then said bluntly, "Junior Brother, your presence before the Emperor is a threat to her, given your childhood friendship alone. Do you really not understand this?"

Chen Lin suddenly froze.

Before he could refute or question her, Mingwu gave him a deep look and turned away.

"Senior sister."

Chen Lin suddenly tightened the reins and took a few quick steps to catch up with Ming Wu.

"Lord Marquis and Madam..." he asked in a low voice, his voice tense, "...have long been unable to tolerate her, haven't they?"

The night wind swept through the long street, lifting a corner of Mingwu's red dress.

Seeing that his senior sister remained silent, Chen Lin pressed on, "What did you mean by what you just said? What will Lord Zhou Bai do?" He spoke with great difficulty, "She has never done anything to wrong the Marquis's family. Does the Marquis's family intend to sever even her blood relatives whom she has regained?"

Mingwu finally stopped. She didn't turn around, but said, "Master said that if Consort Jin is a smart person, she should know what to do. But Junior Brother has been wishful thinking all these years. Don't unintentionally harm others and yourself without realizing it."

She turned her head slightly, half of her face shrouded in shadow, and her tone grew even more somber: "Junior brother, don't forget that even though she is the favored concubine who gave birth to the eldest prince, she is still a beauty by the side of the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion. Since she enjoys the honor bestowed upon her by the Marquis's mansion, she should prioritize the overall situation of the Marquis's mansion and the future of the Noble Consort. This is the fate she understood the day she entered the palace."

As soon as she finished speaking, the red dress suddenly unfurled.

"The capital is a dangerous place, junior brother, you should find an opportunity to transfer away as soon as possible. I have a mission tomorrow, so I'll take my leave now. You... take care."

With that, Mingwu lightly touched the ground with her toes, leaped onto the low wall beside her, and disappeared behind the layers of roof tiles like a swallow's shadow.

Chen Lin stood alone on the empty street until the horse impatiently puffed out its hooves, which brought him back to his senses.

In the distance, the faint sound of the curfew gong could be heard, each gong striking my heart.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(This is a forced interpretation; the setting is that these are people who work in the imperial city, and they can still travel between different neighborhoods to go home after curfew by showing their waist token.)